Cover Letter Sample

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Counteroffer Letter Sample

I’ve always said that to be sure that you have learned a lesson, teach someone else, and when they can understand it, you know you’ve learned the lesson. The same can be said about success: to know that you are successful, help someone else, and when it has made an impact on their life, you know that you have reached success. Being successful in life is not determined by the salary you make. The salary you make does not determine your self-worth.

Giving back to your community is important. When the least of us is doing well, we are all doing well. Many think throwing money at a problem solves the problem, but once the money has diminished, the problem will surely return. As the Chinese proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Our duty should not be to only give to our community monetarily, but to teach others in our community to become successful. You may not think you have a tangible talent worth sharing with the world, but the fact that you have made it to this point in your life speaks volumes. There are many in the community who are striving just to get to where you are; however, they may not have the tools, knowledge, or inspiration to get there. You can be the spark they need.

Some think to make an impact you have to reach out externally, but you can start with those closest to you. There may be someone in your family or circle of friends who needs assistance. Once you’ve exhausted your inner circle, you can begin helping organizations—such as your church—that you are affiliated with.

If we can help at least one person and charge them with helping at least one person, we can make a difference.

Enjoy Your Journey

As you embark on your journey, I hope my experiences can help you along the way. If you speak positive energy into your life, positive things will happen. Don’t be afraid of the unknown; set your goals high and reach beyond the stars. The career you desire, the salary you deserve, and financial freedom are just around the corner. Once you’ve reached your goals, remember those who have helped you get there and return the favor to the next person.

How you handle your money begins before you even receive your first paycheck. When you receive your offer letter with your agreed salary, you will more than likely begin calculating how much money you will have to spend. For many of you, the amount you will receive is more than what you have received up to this point. It is imperative that you do not make any large purchases prior to receiving your first paycheck. Actually, if you have the ability to work for a few months prior to making any large purchases, it will benefit you immensely.

Although your salary amount may seem like a large sum of money, there are several things you must consider. Of course, the most obvious salary deduction is taxes. Uncle Sam will receive his cut before you even receive any of your hard-earned money. To understand how much money he will receive, you can review the income tax table at www.irs.gov. Depending on your situation, the amount you will pay in taxes will differ based on whether you are single or married or if you have any kids. You should adjust your allowances according to your situation so that the correct amount of money is deducted from your paycheck throughout the year. The W-4 form that you will complete with your employer provides instructions. You will have the option to deduct more or less money throughout the year. How much money you deduct throughout the year will determine how much money you will owe or receive at the end of the year during tax season. There are different perspectives on which is better: some people believe that paying less throughout the year allows you the opportunity to gain interest on the money owed. Others, opposed to this perspective, would prefer to pay more throughout the year and receive a check or not owe any money during tax season. Choose the best option for you. If you decide to pay less throughout the year, be prepared to owe money during tax season.

Other than income taxes, you will also see deductions for Medicare and Social Security. These deductions are automatic and cannot be adjusted. The next deductions are adjustable and optional but are very important: health insurance and retirement savings. If your company offers a benefits package that includes health insurance and a retirement savings plan, unless you have other options, you should definitely consider taking both. Your personal health situation will determine what type of health plan you should acquire. Health insurance can be very difficult to evaluate; it is best to review all information then consult your human resource department for additional details. Typically, there will be a range of options from minimal out-of-pocket payments to higher out-of-pocket payments. If you are likely to visit the hospital multiple times throughout the year, it is wise to choose a plan that will offer the greatest coverage with minimal out-of-pocket payments. Fortunately, health plans are not permanent and can be changed annually or with qualifying events such as marriage.

Although you are just beginning your career, you will eventually be looking to retire. Unfortunately, most companies these days are not offering a pension plan. It is your responsibility to prepare for your retirement years. If your company offers a 401(k) or an IRA, be sure to contribute at least as much as the company matches. If the company matches up to 6 percent, you should contribute 6 percent so that you receive the full benefit. Your retirement savings are also deducted from your paycheck. Depending on your savings plan, your deductions may be pre-tax dollars which also benefit you by decreasing your taxable income.

Money-Saving Tips

Hopefully you do not have a large amount of debt. But for many of you who were students, you may at least have student loans. Depending on the amount of debt you owe, it may seem impossible to ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, but paying off your debt can happen. A meek lifestyle may be necessary until this debt is paid. But it’s easiest to continue a meek lifestyle out of college, because you were living with less in college. You will be making corporate money, but you should maintain your college lifestyle at least until you can diminish your debt.

Not only should you aim at diminishing your debt, but you should also strive to start a nice savings account for yourself. The best nugget of advice I received on the topic of savings was: “Pay yourself first.” Your budget should account for paying yourself—and tithes to your church—prior to paying your debtors. If you can commit to at least paying yourself ten dollars per week, you will at least be saving five hundred twenty dollars per year. Most employer payroll systems allow you to set up a direct deposit into multiple accounts; you can deposit your savings directly before you are tempted to spend the money. When you make this commitment, you should not withdraw any money from this account unless it is an absolute emergency. Remember: shopping for shoes or clothes is not an emergency!

Once reality sets in and you understand how much money you will actually be bringing home, you may decide you need to cut your expenses. As a general rule, calculate a cost at least on a monthly basis. For instance, if you have a daily coffee habit that may cost you three dollars per day, if you only drink it during the week this is at least sixty dollars per month. When you think on a daily level, three dollars seems minimal, but when you think on a monthly level, sixty dollars starts to seem a bit more expensive. We all deserve our guilty pleasures, but during the meek period, some things can be curbed or at least minimized. Instead of visiting your favorite coffee shop every day, find a roast you can make at home. Then, if necessary, treat yourself to the three-dollar cup a few times a month.

Just as the cost of your favorite cup of coffee adds up, so does eating out. If you failed the cooking portion of home economics, now is the time to learn how to cook. If you missed the basics—like boiling water—recruit a friend to help you. Once you learn the basics you can scour the web for recipes. Cooking at home will help your pockets. When cooking at home, you will have to visit the grocery store; if you aren’t careful, you could spend too much money. There are a few things you can keep in mind to avoid having a huge grocery bill: (1) never grocery shop on an empty stomach; (2) being a coupon mom is not necessary, but it will help your budget; (3) make a menu of what you will be eating and use this menu to create a grocery list; and (4) buy the store brand for the items that will not compromise your recipe.

To prevent yourself from wastefully spending, there is a principle you should keep in the back of your mind: like versus love; need versus want. When you have the urge to make an impulse purchase, try to consider this principle. Those things that you just like and want could probably be left on the shelf. To ensure you know the difference, don’t make purchases on the spot; sleep on it. This will be difficult for those who need to keep up with the latest trend, but remember that the meek lifestyle is only difficult for a short period of time. Instead of keeping up with the Joneses, you will be the Joneses.

Planning Your Budget

So, you are not an accountant. A budget seems like too much effort but is well worth the return on investment of your time. At the least, planning your budget will allow you to understand your monthly expenses. It will also allow you to determine where you can make cuts to save additional money. Putting your budget on paper can highlight areas where you did not realize you were spending so much money.

To begin creating your budget, write down all of your debt: such as rent/mortgage, utility bills, car payment, insurance, etc. Capture expenses like gym memberships, salon/barber, phone bill, gas, groceries, and any other items you must pay each month. Also capture the amount of money you deposit into your savings account. Subtract these expenses from your take-home pay (the amount of money you bring home after taxes and benefits are deducted). Hopefully, you will have a positive balance; otherwise, you must evaluate your budget to reduce your expenses until you arrive at a positive balance. If you do have a positive balance, there is still room to increase the balance by reducing unnecessary expenses. Once you have trimmed your budget as much as possible, you can now apply your leftover money to your debt or to your savings account.

If you are thinking that your budget can’t be trimmed, think of things like your cell phone bill. Monitor the minutes you use per month. You may be surprised to find that you do not use all of your minutes and can lower your plan. If you are using all of your minutes, think of using free services like Skype, Google Voice, or other VoIP (Voice over IP) services you can use instead of using your mobile minutes. If you have a cable bill with all the premium channels, think of changing your service to minimize to a basic cable plan. There are many networks that stream your favorite shows online at a later time. You can be creative with your budget. Remember the principle I discussed before: “like versus love; want versus need.”

This budget plan covers your living expenditures. You also need to budget for recreational expenses such as when you do treat yourself or events you know you’ll need money for like birthdays or Christmas. When considering these expenditures, create a “bucket” for yourself. For instance, if you decide your Christmas limit is five hundred dollars, you can start saving in January. By saving at least ten dollars per week, you will accumulate five hundred dollars before Christmas. By having this money saved in advance, when Christmas comes around, you will not be inconvenienced. You should also determine your recreational spending for the week and account for this in your budget. The goal is to commit to this budget—at least until your debt is paid.

Snowball Effect

How should you tackle your debt payments? There is a debt payment plan referred to as the debt-snowball method. This plan is applicable if you have multiple accounts that need to be paid. Basically, you begin paying larger payments on the account with the smallest balance and the minimum payment on the accounts with the largest balances. Once you have completely paid off a small account, you can now apply the amount you were paying to the smaller account to the larger account. Remember: by trimming your budget, you should have a positive balance that can be applied to your debt.

For example, if you have a credit card with a five-hundred-dollar balance and you have student loans with a twenty-thousand-dollar balance, your goal would be to pay the minimum payment on your student loan and apply all of your remaining money from your budget to the credit card payment. If you apply two hundred dollars to your credit card per month, once you have completely paid the credit card, you can now apply the two hundred dollars to your student-loan payment. Whenever you have additional money, apply this to your debt.

There are mixed opinions regarding paying off your debt prior to saving money. Doing both is probably in your best interest. By having a savings account, you can avoid creating additional debt if an emergency arises.

Once you have reached your goal and completely paid your debt, you are now able to save more money. All the money you were once paying to your debt can now be added to your savings account. The money that you save should be in a high-yield savings account which will accrue interest at a higher rate. There are different high-yield savings accounts that will offer more than most banking institutions. When you are ready, you can research which institution offers the highest interest.

Credit Score

Unfortunately, debt establishes your credit history, but it is not necessary to have a high-balance credit card or an outrageous car payment to establish good credit. When you have paid off all your consumer debt, it is important to maintain at least one credit card. You can charge something small —such as gas. Be sure to carry no more than half the balance into the next month.

It is very important to monitor your credit history. Your credit score will determine the interest rates you receive on future purchases and can determine your insurance rate and whether you are hired by certain companies. In the event you have a high interest rate, this will cause your monthly payments to be higher than necessary. By monitoring your credit report, you can also prevent identity theft: if someone opens a new account, it will display on your credit report.

You’ve proven you have the skills, experience, and personality to join the company. From the first day on the job, you have to perform and do it professionally. For young professionals, a challenge will be proving that you are capable of performing the job. You are no longer in college and should not give your colleagues the impression that you are a student.

Appearances are important, and just like at your interview, you should wear appropriate attire to work. The business attire you wore to the interview may not be required for your office; therefore, it is important to ask your recruiter or hiring manager about the dress code. As you begin working, you can observe your colleagues and determine how formal or casual they dress.

In school, classes had a defined schedule, but in your career, you may not have a specific schedule. Many employers expect that you will be at work at a reasonable time and do all of your hours for the day. If you have the luxury of choosing your own schedule, be mindful of your company’s core business hours. Typically, the core hours are defined between a start and finish time like 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If your schedule is predefined, be sure you are punctual. You are not expected to work non-stop when you arrive at work, but you should minimize your downtime. When you are away from your workstation for an extended period of time, you should inform someone that you will be away. Your colleagues should not have to search for you and should never question whether you have actually worked all of your scheduled hours.

With social media, text talk, and the need for quick messages, our generation has minimized our vocabulary and created a new language. Although this language may be acceptable for a tweet or Facebook post, it should not be used in the workplace. When sending e-mails or writing documents, be sure to spell out phrases and try hard not to use any slang. Common business acronyms are acceptable where applicable, but these are the only exceptions. Not only do you want to be professional but many of your colleagues are from a different generation and may not understand the verbiage.

When you are given the responsibility for a deliverable, be mindful of the deadline and expectations of this deliverable. If the instructions are not clear, ask specific questions until they are clarified. When you submit a deliverable, you cannot have the excuse that you did not understand the expectations. Procrastination may have worked in school, but curb that habit quickly. You’ll want to begin working on a deliverable as soon as you have the availability. You will want to ensure you have enough time to review the deliverable prior to submitting it. You would also like to leave enough time to ask questions if you run into any issues. Your colleagues may not have as much availability to answer your questions at the last minute.

“Meeting for the sake of meeting” will become a reality when you begin your career. It seems like there is always a meeting. Although there may not be a purpose for a meeting, you should always go prepared as if it’s the most important meeting you will attend. Taking notes is imperative; you’ll want to capture, at a high level, discussion items, tasks, and deadlines. It is good practice to have a notebook or document that you capture all notes associated to specific meetings. If you have a weekly meeting to discuss a certain project, all the notes relating to this meeting should be kept together. This will enable you to have an archive to reference. Although meetings can be the least exciting part of your day, do whatever it takes to stay awake. There is always a person within the company who dozes off during a meeting; try hard not to be that person. It will seem like some days you are in meetings more than you are actually working. If necessary you can schedule time to accomplish a task, schedule “busy” time on your calendar so others are not able to schedule a meeting during that time. Manage your schedule appropriately so that you do not have conflicts and so you have the ability to transition between meetings.

You will spend more time with your colleagues than with your friends or family during the week. This will lead to great friendships—if you allow it. Just remember to maintain your level of professionalism; you should avoid conversations that are inappropriate for work. Typically, religion, race, and politics are all topics that are too sensitive for the work environment. You should also be mindful of creating friendships that will cause an issue with your productivity. At times, you may be in a position where you have to delegate work to a colleague. If you are friends, this may be difficult to manage.

“Work hard, play harder.” Often, companies—more specifically, teams—enjoy happy hours or after-work gatherings. It is important to participate in these outings; they are an opportunity to build camaraderie among you and your coworkers. If the company is sponsoring the event, do not order all top-shelf alcohol or have more than a couple of drinks. When you are at a company event, use moderation while drinking. Moderation also applies to company dinners. If you are at a company dinner and have the option to order your own food, do not order the most expensive entrée, and do not order more food than you will actually eat.

The interview is over; a huge weight is lifted off of your shoulders. Now you can await a generous offer letter. Before you start the waiting game, send thanks to those individuals you interviewed with: such as the recruiter and manager. An e-mail thanking them for their consideration and reiterating your interest in the position and the company will be sufficient. Benefits Negotiating

The recruiter should be in touch with you regarding the next steps. If you have been selected for the position, you should initially be contacted via a phone call or e-mail. The recruiter will provide the details of the offer, including: salary, benefits, and start date. It is important to communicate your appreciation for the offer but to ask for time to consider the details; do not agree to the terms of the offer on the spot. Like any transaction, a company will not initially present their best offer. For this reason, you should most certainly present a counteroffer.

Review all offer details. Salary is important, but other benefits, such as health care and vacation days, are also important. When presenting a counteroffer, you must see the “glass as half-full.” You should be able to find something positive about the offer. Leverage that to compromise on the items you want to change. This approach is more polite than completely rejecting the entire offer. But please keep in mind that if you do not like the offer or the position, use this option as leverage during your interviews with other companies. Inform the other companies that you have an offer, and you are working against a deadline. Hopefully, other companies will work with you to ensure you are able to meet your deadline. Having an offer in hand also gives other companies the assurance that you are hirable. Compare any offers you receive and create a best-case situation using the best components of each offer.

To present a counteroffer, an e-mail is sufficient. Be sure to submit a counteroffer prior to your deadline. Within the letter, you should include the components of the offer you agree with as well as the components you would like to change. If you like vacation, you could state the following: “The vacation of three weeks is generous and acceptable.” If you would like to request a change to the salary, you could state the following: “Based on similar positions in the Atlanta area, a salary analysis suggests a salary of $70,000. To remain competitive with my peers, I suggest a salary of $68,000.”

An Internet search—such as those found on salary.com or glassdoor.com—can offer many different analysis tools. Using these tools, you can determine what an offer package should contain for similar positions. When presenting a counter, you should provide relevant reasons they should consider your counter. If you have multiple offers, your reasons are easier to present. You can state what another company is offering.

The recruiter should be in contact with you regarding any amendments they are willing to make to the initial offer or to decline the offer and present a new deadline or ask for a decision. Be prepared to make a quick decision.

Once a recruiter realizes your experience and skills are applicable to the position, he or she more than likely will schedule an interview or series of interviews. Depending on the company, there are typically at least two parts: a screening interview and a standard interview. The screening interview is typically managed by the recruiter; then, the standard interview will be with a member of management. Some companies perform multiple standard interviews with different members of management or team members.

The screening interview will allow the recruiter to confirm your skills and experience. He or she will ask a series of questions that relate directly to your resume. This is your opportunity to provide any clarification or elaborate on details of your resume. Typically, it is best to keep this conversation at a high level unless the recruiter asks for more specific information. The recruiter will also discuss the company atmosphere and possibly benefits and salary requirements.

When discussing salary, the first person to show his or her hand loses. Try hard to politely avoid the salary conversation. Stating that you would rather discuss salary after better understanding the requirements of the position is an adequate response to the question, “What salary are you looking for?” Why should you avoid discussing salary? If you decide to disclose an amount, you could either state an amount that is well above their range and omit yourself from consideration, or you could understate your salary and omit yourself from consideration because they will think you are under qualified for the position. If you avoid the question, this will give the interviewer the opportunity to present his or her offer and allow you room to negotiate. If forced to answer this question, oftentimes recruiters can be very persuasive; give a range rather than a single number.

Before ending the screening interview, the recruiter will most likely ask if you have any questions. Because you were listening very intently to the information he or she was delivering, you will surely have at least a single question to ask the recruiter. Be sure to ask your questions; this will confirm your interest in the company.

Once you’ve passed the screening interview, you will be invited to interview with a member of management. This interview, unlike the screening interview, will most likely be in person. Up until this moment, you’ve been represented by your resume. Once you arrive for the standard interview, you will be representing yourself—represent well! A first impression is everything in your career: you will be scored from your arrival to your departure, so ensure your encounter is worthwhile.

We’ll first discuss your appearance and arrival at the interview site. I’m sure you have heard the expression, “Dress for success.” Although this sounds trite, it is true. Business attire is a must at a standard interview. Unless you are told otherwise by the recruiter, it is better to be overdressed than underdressed. Wear a suit in a non-flashy color: black, blue, or brown are acceptable colors to wear. If you cannot afford to buy a new suit, consider visiting Goodwill or Salvation Army. There are also programs in many cities that offer clothing for the unemployed who are going on job interviews.

For women, you may wear either pants or a skirt. If you choose a skirt, be sure the skirt is a conservative length: it should be at least fingertip length. Be sure the blouse you select provides full coverage—a peep show is not necessary. Be mindful of how your blouse looks with or without your suit jacket: if you decide to remove your jacket at any point during the interview, your blouse should be appropriate. Your nail color, hair, and accessories are also important. Conservative is always safe. Just think, you want the interviewer to pay close attention to what you are saying; you do not want him or her to be focused on your appearance. Nail color should be basic: clear, pale, or French tips would all be acceptable. Hot pink with yellow flowers would be very distracting. Your hair should be neatly combed; save the wild hairstyles for after hours. Accessories should be minimal: you do not want to leave the recruiter with the image of Mr. T as you exit the building. Lastly, your shoes should also be modest. A blue or black pump with a short heel is sufficient. Your eight-inch stilettos should remain in the closet during your interview.

For men, ensure that your clothes fit appropriately. Your proper-size pants and jacket are a must: not too large and not too small. You should also pair your suit with a complementing shirt: consider neutral, conservative colors like white or light blue. The tie you choose should be basic—nothing too flashy—with minimal colors and patterns. It should also complement your suit and shirt selection. Both your facial hair and the hair on your head should be well groomed. You should also keep your accessories to a minimum: a professional watch and a ring are sufficient—anything more would be too much. Definitely consider removing any earrings before your interview. I’m sure you’ve heard that women judge a man by his shoes; well, this is true. Your shoes should be brown or black dress shoes, and they should be polished.

“Being early is on time, being on time is late, and being late is unacceptable.” When traveling to your standard interview, be sure to allow enough time to be at least fifteen minutes early for the interview. Many employers will appreciate your punctuality. Once you arrive at the interview, if you are greeted by a staff member other than your interviewer, be sure to be cordial. Your impression begins at the front door. Each person you encounter will have a valued opinion and can positively or negatively impact your chances of getting hired.

An interview can be conducted in many different formats: one-on-one, a panel of interviewers, or multiple interviews with different individuals. No matter the interview format, the goal of the interview is to demonstrate your ability to perform the job. The interviewer(s) will ask questions regarding your experience, your goals, and your work personality. Focus on the questions; if you do not understand the question, ask for clarification. When answering the question, be direct and concise: only providing relevant detail. Once the interviewer has completed his or her questions, he or she will most likely ask you if you have any questions. Questions relating to the tasks of the job and team environment are good questions to ask of this interviewer. Avoid questions related to Human Resources: such as salary, benefits, or flexibility. If you ask these questions, it can be presumed that you are more concerned about what you will gain from this job versus what you can contribute.

Interviews can be nerve-wracking. The best way to calm your nerves is to be well prepared. Research the company to understand the culture, values, and environment. Be knowledgeable about the overall company as well as the division for which you are interviewing. Does the company value independent thought or a team environment? Understanding this will allow you to tailor your responses to your interview questions. If the company values independent thought, your responses should elaborate on your individual efforts versus your contributions to a team. Thoroughly read and understand the job description, think through your experience and note areas in which you have performed similar tasks. There are many sites that also offer feedback from interviewees—this feedback is invaluable. Use this feedback to understand how the interview will be conducted. Lastly, ask a friend to conduct a mock interview with you.

When responding to interview questions, many companies have a methodology for scoring responses to questions. Often, they will instruct you how to respond to the question. Understanding the methodology beforehand will allow you to prepare responses from your experiences. One such format is the STAR format: the interviewer will want your response to describe a situation or tasks, actions performed, and the results of those actions.

Here is a sample question: “Tell me a time in which you had to lead a group project.”

Sample response: My senior year of college, I led the final project for our Systems Analysis and Design course. (Situation) During the course of the semester, I was responsible for delegating assignments and ensuring the assignments were complete prior to their deadline. I was also responsible for completing our project reports detailing the work of the group and any issues we may have encountered. (Actions) At the end of the semester, our group successfully completed our project on time, and each of our group members received an A on the project. (Results)

Remember, an interview is not only an opportunity for the company to confirm your skills but it also gives them the opportunity to understand your personality and whether you will fit into the culture of the company or the team. On the flip side, this is a great opportunity for you to get a feel for the company and the type of people who work at the company. Starting a new job should be a fit for both you and the company.

A resume contains all the direct details relating to the skills or experiences you possess to perform the duties of the job. Often, a resume can be widely distributed to different organizations with minimal changes to make it unique to the organization. On the contrary, a cover letter should be unique to the organization. It should provide details of the specific position you are applying for; you can include the job title or position number. If you were referred to the job by a current employee, be sure to mention his or her name. Please be sure the referring employee is in good standing with the company; otherwise, do not mention his or her name.

Many job sites offer the option to include a cover letter. It is wise to include a prepared cover letter for your submission. If you are submitting a resume via e-mail to a recruiter, you can include a prepared cover letter as the body of the e-mail. A cover letter can include details which are not obvious from the resume or which provide the opportunity to elaborate on skills you were not able to include in the resume. Similar to your resume, a cover letter should be relevant and concise. It should also be grammatically correct and formatted as a letter with a proper salutation and signature.

If your resume contains all course work experience, your cover letter could elaborate on your interest in the position and describe how your course work experience relates to the requirements of the job. There is one thing to consider: recruiters may not always understand the requirements of a position and how your experience can meet those requirements. By providing detail in the cover letter, you help the recruiter to make the connection.

Your resume should contain: your name, relevant contact information, career objective, education, skills, and experience. In case you were wondering, the name on your resume should represent your government name that displays on your identification; do not use any aliases. If you are weary of using your address and phone number on a publicly distributed document, you can omit it, but an e-mail address must be present.

An objective is not always necessary, but if you have minimal work experience, your objective can express what you would like to do. Think long and hard about the objective—it should be definitive but not too narrow. It should articulate the skills you want to utilize along with the skills you possess. The listed skills should be relevant to the position you are applying for; do not list computer-programming skills unless the position is a computer-programming position. Your objective can also be used as a great speaking point for your interview. Once you understand what you want to do in your career and the skills you have to accomplish those tasks, you are capable of performing great in an interview.

Here is an example of an objective: Obtain an IT consulting position at Company Z to utilize my problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills to improve client engagements.

Your education is important—especially if you have minimal work experience. Your education can be used as leverage for experience. Be sure to list the schools in which you have obtained your diploma or degree, your major, the dates of completion, and your GPA. If you have not yet completed school, list the future date of completion. Only list your GPA if it is a B average or better; do not highlight a low GPA.

The skills section can be used to highlight courses from your education that are relevant to the job you are applying for; do not list general courses. If you have earned any certifications, list the name of the certification, the certifying organization, and the date of completion.

Experience is the most important section of the resume. Depending on your experience and the format you choose, your experience should be relevant to the position you are applying for. Prior to updating the experience section, complete an exercise of outlining all of your skills gained through education or other work experience. Include tasks completed, tools utilized to complete the tasks, and dates associated with the tasks. Once you have completed this exercise, determine the experiences you would like to highlight and the best format for highlighting these experiences. Experience can be displayed chronologically, by project, or by skill set. When writing out the experiences, be sure to use the same verb tense throughout the resume. Remember: if you are utilizing a bulleted list, bullets are not sentences and should not end with a period.

Here is an example of listing your experience: Authored Cloud Technology white paper by utilizing business journals to conduct research.

What post-college skills do you possess that are attractive to a company looking to hire a professional? It may seem that the skills you currently have are minimal. During your course work, have you led or participated in a group project, written an essay, or completed a major assignment? All of these things demonstrate your ability to perform as a professional. If you also worked a part-time job, the skills you gained while working can also be included on your resume.

The format of a resume is as important as the content of the resume. Recruiters review thousands of resumes. Time is of the essence, and a ten-page resume will certainly be bypassed during their review. If you have minimal work experience, a one-page resume is sufficient. As you gain years of work experience, your resume can grow in length. If your work experience is varied, your resume should only contain the items relevant to the position for which you are applying.

There are many different resume templates online, any of which could be used. Be creative and take the best sections of each template to display the important points you want to highlight. Regardless of the selected format, it is important to display your name at the top of the page. The font size of your name should be slightly larger than the font of the remainder of your resume. The font style should be consistent throughout the resume. Minimize emphasis throughout the resume: the underline, bold, and italics features should be used sparingly but consistently. If you decide to use bold font for a section header, use bold font on all section headers. If you have difficulty completing a full page of experience or narrowing it down to a single page, play with the page borders and font sizes until the page layout is adequate.

While searching for a job and after getting hired, it is important to act professionally in your personal life as well. Your e-mail address should be simple and professional: [email protected] is inappropriate. Also, be mindful of your voicemail messages and how you answer the phone. In the age of social networking, your life is easily accessible and on display. Remove any content that is non-professional; consider using all security measures to reduce your digital footprint. Don’t be surprised if a potential employer Googles you; you want to be proud of the person they find online. Although you have freedom of speech, your point of view on a particular subject could prevent a company from hiring you.

Growing up, all children are required to attend school. Each year, from kindergarten until the senior year of high school, children know what they will be doing. Somewhere in between, a decision is made to attend college, and the pattern continues: attend classes until graduation. This pattern leaves little room to imagine what life will be like once this pattern terminates. Life after school, for some, can be a bit of a trial-and-error period. For me—and many other peers I know—this was definitely the case.

Unlike the classroom, the next chapter of life does not come equipped with a syllabus or a supply list. Earning a diploma or a degree is half the battle; success is determined by how you manage yourself afterward. I hope to provide some guidance from my personal experience and the experiences of colleagues and peers to help you achieve a high level of success.

There are several key areas I find to be very important: finding a job, professional development, finances, and giving back. Of course, there are many more aspects of life that will determine success, but those things will vary depending on the person.

From my personal experience, finding a job did not become extremely important until after my parents moved out of the country my junior year of college. At the point of their departure, I realized that my option to go home and figure things out after college was no longer available. I quickly changed my way of thinking: I started thinking how I could set myself up for success and have a job lined up as soon as I graduated from school. Fortunately for me, I had over a year to figure things out. I went back to school after the summer and began putting my plan into action. I became very good friends with our department’s professional development professor and the school’s career development counselor. Between the two of these individuals, I was able to understand how to develop a recruiter-worthy resume. I also learned which companies were recruiting from the school. As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” With these weapons on my side, I was prepared for battle.

My short-term goal was to line up an internship for the summer. Our school hosted a career fair each semester; the companies came prepared to offer both internships and full-time opportunities. Prior to the school’s career fair that fall, I researched the companies that would be in attendance and prepared a list of companies that I most wanted to speak with. I wanted to at least speak to the companies on my list, but I stuck around long enough to speak with each company in attendance. The weeks following the career fair, I set up a number of interviews. The school’s career development counselor suggested a great book, 60 Seconds and You’re Hired!, which I suggest everyone read. It helped me prepare myself for the interviews. My interviews went very well, and I had a list of companies to choose from for that summer.

I completed a summer internship program in Jacksonville, Florida, at a financial management and advisory firm. It was a wonderful experience, I was able to gain valuable skills, but most importantly, I understood the professional environment. Fortunately, I was offered a full-time opportunity with the company. Although I was very appreciative of this offer, I wanted to have options. That fall, I returned to the career fair with more knowledge, additional skills on my resume, and the best negotiating point: a full-time offer in hand. Again, I was able to set up a number of interviews; fortunately, I was blessed with a few offers to choose from.

I decided on a pharmaceutical company in Indianapolis. I started my career as an IT analyst, earned additional skills, and made valuable friendships; unfortunately, I did not like Indianapolis and decided I wanted to move. Again, I began searching for jobs. I reached out to my network of peers and started applying to jobs. I had a few interviews and received a couple of job offers. I decided on an offer in Chantilly, Virginia, as a systems engineer at a company known for aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology. Since this move, I’ve made a few more career changes, and I am now a Salesforce.com consultant at a small consulting company. With each move, I realized how important networking and managing work relationships can be to your career. Never burn any bridges—that colleague you don’t like working with today could be your foot in the door at a company you want to work with tomorrow. Your career may not entail as many changes as mine, but even within a single organization, networking and relationships are just as important.

I had to learn how to manage my finances while making these career changes. While attending school, I had financial responsibilities: such as rent, utilities, gas, and food. My income was limited to my financial aid, a part-time job, and parental allowance. Amazingly, I was able to manage my responsibilities adequately with very little income. In my initial offers for employment, the salary was far greater than the little money I had been receiving. You may think that it was easy to manage this new income because I was accustomed to working with less. As they say, “More money, more problems.” For some reason, when you have more money, you attract larger responsibilities. Thankfully, I did not purchase a new car nor did I rent the most lavish apartment. I researched the debt-to-income ratio and understood the amount of money that I should spend with my new income. I looked for an apartment that was well within my means. After a few years out of college, I was able to completely diminish my student loan debt and not accrue additional consumer debt. My most important lesson was not to live up to my income and to retain my college lifestyle, and I would not overextend myself.

Now that I’m older, I understand the importance of starting on the road to success at a young age. As with anything, when you achieve a goal, you have to acknowledge those who have helped you achieve those goals. It’s difficult to get anywhere in life without help. In most cases, you can’t repay those who have helped you, but you can pay it forward. If we all took a moment to help at least one individual, we’d all be in a better world. My dream is that this book will reach at least one person so that the lessons I have learned can help that one person reach success with less struggle. I can’t promise the answers to all the questions, but I hope to provide at least a study guide that can help you ace the test. If you only take one thing from this book, take this scripture from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” If I can do it, you can too.